Reyes, 22, had arrived to make his major league debut. He’d earned the privilege with a .346/.442/.738 slash line, a minors-leading 14 home runs and defensive strides to go along with ones at the plate. At 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds, he will serve as an outsized reminder: The Padres must evaluate what they have, sometimes at the expense of what they have seen.

In a corresponding roster move, Carlos Asuaje was optioned to Triple A, the same level Reyes had been dominating. Asuaje was hitting .198/.263/.292. He had lost most of his playing time at second base to José Pirela, who will continue playing out of position until the organization...